Thu, Mar 22, 2007
Calls For AD To Inspect Rudder Boots
On Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board issued
Safety Recommendation A-07-33, calling on the FAA to make a current
service bulletin mandatory for Cessna 150 operators, in the form of
an airworthiness directive.
In response to an April 11, 2005 stall-spin accident near
Williamsburg, OH -- in which the rudder of a Cessna 150 jammed
during spin recovery training -- the NTSB says operators of the
type should heed Cessna Service Bulletin No. SEB01-1, calling for
all C150 and C152 models to undergo a one-time inspection at the
next 100-hour or annual inspection, to verify that the rudder
bumpers are correctly installed on the rudder horn assembly.
Investigators found the rudder boots on the accident aircraft
had been installed inverted, and that the right rudder bumper had
traveled beyond the rudder stop and had locked behind it -- causing
the rudder to jam left at a 35 degree angle, past its travel limit.
Both pilots onboard the C150 died when it spiraled down.
The investigation could not determine whether the incorrect
installation of the rudder bumpers occurred at the time of
production or during the airplane’s maintenance history.
Review of the maintenance records indicated no record of work
having been performed on the rudder bumpers during the
airplane’s 28-year history, according to the NTSB.
The Board added a similar accident occurred on a Canadian C152
in 1998. A CFI and a student pilot were practicing spins, and were
unable to recover from one. The CFI was killed, the student pilot
sustained serious injuries, and the airplane was substantially
damaged. During its investigation, the Transportation Safety Board
of Canada (TSB) found that, although the rudder bumpers were
installed correctly on this airplane, the rudder had deflected at
34° and had jammed beyond its left travel limit.
The TSB also found the right rudder bumper had traveled beyond
the rudder stop and had locked behind it.
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